Top 7 Natural Remedies to Deal with Insomnia

Top 7 Natural Remedies to Deal with Insomnia

insomnia

Irrespective of age or gender, everyone needs adequate sleep to live a healthy life and remain energetic at work. However, millions of men and women suffer from sleeplessness or insomnia from time to time. Lack of adequate sleep can be harmful for your health in the long run and it leaves you in a fatigued condition when you wake up. As a result, you may fail to perform optimally at work.


Sleeplessness Can Be Caused by a Number Of Factors, Both Personal and Professional. For a Majority Of People Suffering From Insomnia, The Key Reasons Are:

  • Work schedule that involves nocturnal hours or shifting duty
  • Lack of quietness at home
  • Stress and anxiety, often caused by relationship issues
  • Food habits interfering with sleep pattern

If you find getting adequate sleep every night has become difficult, do not rush for the OTC medications. There are some natural alternative methods that can help you get sound sleep.


1. Aromatherapy

Usage of specific aromatic oils can be helpful to induce sleep when you suffer from insomnia. Aromatherapy candles and oils can be used for this purpose. You will benefit particularly from the usage of lavender essential oil can result in prolonged and deeper oil. You may try bathing in water to which a few drops of this oil is added before going to bed. If you are not much fond of lavender fragrance, try essential oils like chamomile. This herb is known for its calming effect on the nerves.


2. Consume Sleep Inducing Foods

What you eat and drink can play a role in getting adequate sleep, studies have shown. It will be beneficial for you to eat vitamin B6 rich foods. Examples include bananas, sunflower seeds and wheat germ. Magnesium, an essential mineral required by human body also works as a sedative. Deficiency of magnesium may lead to sleeping difficulty in women and men. Therefore, make sure you include magnesium rich foods in your meals. Examples are leafy green vegetables, almonds, whole grains and legumes. You will do better by eating calcium rich foods too for this purpose.


3. Avoid Foods Affecting Sleep Pattern Adversely

There are certain foods and beverages that can make you restless and disturb sleep pattern. Caffeine and nicotine are 2 big culprits in this regard. You need to remember avoiding coffee is not the only way to avoid Caffeine intake. This compound is also present there in foods and beverages like chocolate and aerated drinks. It is also necessary not to drink alcohol after dinner or before hitting the bed.


4. Yoga and Meditation

Yoga not only helps to tone up your body, but it also soothes and calms your nerves. As a result, you can deal better with stress and tensions. When you hit the bed with relaxed nerves and muscles, falling asleep becomes easier. Meditation before going to bed can also make your mind tranquil.


5. Darkness in Bedroom

It may sound very basic but lack of darkness where you sleep can affect sleep patterns to an extent. To deal with sleep disruptions, try to make the bedroom darker. Not using night lamps or covering glass windows with dark curtains while sleeping can help. New studies indicate small reflections emitted by LED lamps and mobile phones can affect sleep adversely too.


6. Stay Away from Gadgets

To get sound sleep, it will be a good idea to keep gadgets like tablets, laptops and mobile phones away from your bed. The invisible signals emitted by such devices can make sleeping difficult for you. The wavelengths affect production of melatonin, a hormone that is required for sleep.


7. Munch on Sweet Snacks

It may help to eat small amounts of sugary snacks or foods before hitting the bed. You may try drinking honey with warm milk, which can have a sedative effect on your nerves at bedtime. However, refrain from eating lots of sugar laden foods as it can also add to your waistline over time.

Reviewed By:

Dr. Kaushal M. Bhavsar (MBBS, MD)

Assistant Professor in Pulmonary Medicine, GMERS Medical College, Ahmedabad